Bill C-251 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (trans fatty acids)

Food and Drugs Act

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-251, An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (trans fatty acids).

Mr. Speaker, in November 2004 the House of Commons passed a motion put forward by the NDP to ban the use of trans fatty acids for human consumption. The motion was not to reduce the use of trans fatty acids. It was not to regulate the use of trans fatty acids. It was to ban the use of trans fatty acids.

Then the blue ribbon task force made up of representatives from food manufacturers, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the restaurant association and Health Canada concurred with the will of Parliament and after 18 months agreed that trans fats should in fact be banned.

One gram of trans fat increases the risk of heart disease by 10%. Canadians eat over 10 grams a day. Some people eat a lot more than 10 grams per day. We need to ban trans fatty acids before they poison another generation of children and cabinet ministers.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[The Deputy Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

I remind hon. members that when introducing a private member's bill members are supposed to give a brief explanation of the bill and not engage in a long speech.